A pencil is a handheld instrument containing an interior strip of solid material that produces marks used to write and draw, usually on paper. The marking material is most commonly graphite, typically contained inside a wooden sheath. However, other marking materials are used, such as charcoal or cosmetics (as in an eyebrow pencil).
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Learning Art > Drawing > Drawing Materials > Pencils
Pencils |
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Coloured pencils employ pigments, including those used in oil and watercolour paints. Pencils may also have an eraser or "rubber" attached to one end, typically by means of a metal ferrule. Unlike pencils, pens use a liquid marking material, ink. The first manufactured in 1564 but documented use of the pencil did not appear until Conrad Gesner used one before he died in in 1565. [citation needed] Today, pencils are made industrially by mixing finely ground graphite and clay powders, adding water, forming long spaghetti-like strings, and firing them in a kiln. The resulting strings are dipped in oil or molten wax which seeps into the tiny holes of the material, resulting in smoother writing. |
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A juniper or incense-cedar plank with several long parallel grooves is cut to make something called a slat, and the graphite/clay strings are inserted into the grooves. Another grooved plank is glued on top, and the whole thing is then cut into individual pencils, which are then varnished or painted. Many pencils, particularly those used by artists, are labelled on the European system using a scale from "H" (for hardness) to "B" (for blackness), as well as "F" (for fine point). The standard writing pencil is "HB". However, artists' pencils can vary widely in order to provide a range of marks for different visual effects on the page. A set of art pencils ranging from a very hard, light-marking pencil to a very soft, black-marking pencil usually ranges from hardest to softest as follows: Hard: 9H 8H 7H 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H Fine Point: F Standard: HB Black (Soft): B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 9B |
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The American system, using numbers only, developed simultaneously with the following approximate equivalents to the European system. Tone U.S. Europe #1 = B #2 = HB #2 ½ * = F #3 = H #4 = 2H * Also seen as 2 4/8, 2.5, 2 5/10, due to patent issues |
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Even though the natural
deposits of pure graphite are tapped out, it is still possible to write
the way Englishmen did centuries ago, without clay or wax additives
leaving oily stains on paper. Chemical supply companies commonly sell
99.995% pure graphite rods in 3 mm and 6 mm diameters. The largest
commonly available mechanical pencils ("lead holders") take 2 mm leads. Pencils in the United States and Canada tend to be painted yellow on the outside. According to Henry Petroski, this tradition now extends to a majority of pencils worldwide, and began in 1890 when the L. & C. Hardtmuth Company of Austria-Hungary introduced their Koh-I-Noor brand, named after the famous diamond. It was intended to be the world's best and most expensive pencil, and at a time when most pencils were either painted in dark colours or not at all, the Koh-I-Noor was yellow. Not all countries however use yellow pencils; German pencils, for example, are often green, based on the trademark colours of Faber-Castell, a major German stationery company. For the artist, pencils are handy to carry about and can be bought anywhere, but they are not the best drawing media. The range of tone is narrow, you can't get a good black with them. They also shine unpleasantly when overworked, smudge easily and don't frame up well. But for the workaday roughing out of ideas for composition, for beginning a watercolor or painting, tracing, or in combination with pen and ink, they are invaluable. Pencils should always be kept well sharpened. Old razor blades are excellent for this. If you prefer a knife, make sure that the blade is not too heavy, or you will be continually breaking the point. You can also get a good point by rubbing on a fine sand paper. Excerpts from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia |
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